Britney Spears Biopic Gains Momentum with Liz Meriwether as Screenwriter

Universal Pictures confirmed that acclaimed TV writer Liz Meriwether will pen the screenplay for its upcoming Britney Spears biopic. She joins director Jon M. Chu and producer Marc Platt, attached since Universal secured the memoir rights in 2024, and will develop the early draft into a final script.

Britney Spears Biopic: Liz Meriwether Writes ScreenplayPage SixExpress TribuneLiz Meriwether to write Britney Spears biopicVariety MagazineNew Girl Creator To Write Britney Spears BiopicRolling Stone

The film adapts Spears’ 2023 memoir *The Woman in Me*, released Oct 24, 2023 by Gallery Books. The memoir’s frank account of her childhood, teen stardom, relationships and conservatorship has driven media interest and positioned the book as prime biopic material.

Express Tribune

Liz Meriwether, creator of *New Girl* and co-creator of *Dying for Sex*, brings four Emmy nominations and Writers Guild and Producers Guild honors. Director Jon M. Chu, known for *Wicked* and the $977 million Michael Jackson biopic *Michael*, leads the film’s visual approach. Producer Marc Platt, a veteran of large-scale musical adaptations, oversees production. Britney Spears authored the source memoir, while actress Michelle Williams narrated its audiobook.

Express Tribune

*The Woman in Me* sold 1.1 million copies in its first week and has topped 3 million copies overall, with worldwide sales reported above 6 million. Its audiobook was the fastest-selling in Simon & Schuster’s history. The biopic follows the $977 million success of *Michael*, spurring studios to chase music-star stories.

Hollywood Reporter

Spears announced the project on Instagram, praising Marc Platt as a producer whose films she admires and urging fans to await further news. She also indicated she will not perform in the United States again for personal reasons while expressing a desire to appear on stage with her son in the United Kingdom and Australia. Universal has not issued a comment on casting or schedule.

Rolling Stone

Sales figures vary: one source cites 1.1 million first-week copies, another says “over 1 million,” while a third reports “more than 3 million” and “over 6 million worldwide.” No casting, budget or production timeline has been disclosed.

Page Six

• “always made my favorite movies” — Britney Spears, Instagram post

Variety Magazine

• “Interestingly enough, I dance on IG to heal things in my body that people have no idea about,” — Britney Spears, Instagram post

Rolling Stone

• “The audiobook was read by Michelle Williams and became the fastest-selling in Simon & Schuster’s history.” — Variety

Hollywood Reporter

• “But the pairing of Chu and Meriwether on a project built on what certainly appears to be gold-plated IP seems like a slam dunk.” — Page Six

Page Six

• “Yup and it’s embarrassing sometimes… but I walked through the fire to save my life… I will never perform in the U.S. again because of extremely sensitive reasons but I hope to be sitting on a stool with a red rose in my hair, in a bun, performing with my son… in the UK and AUSTRALIA very soon.” — Britney Spears, Instagram post

Rolling Stone

The project’s next publicly known milestone is the completion of Meriwether’s script; no further production details have been released.

Britney Spears Biopic: Liz Meriwether Writes Screenplay